American First Ladies: Their Lives and Their Legacy (Special - Reference)

Based on personal papers and original documents
From Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barbara Bush to Martha Washington, here are biographical sketches of all the women who have served as First Lady. Based on personal papers and original documents, and written by leading historians and political scientists, these well-researched essays offer the latest insights about presidential wives. Each entry is a balanced, objective assesment of the historical contributions that each First Lady made to history and to the role, and how she responded to changes in the nation's highest office itself and in the evolving social demands on women.

The subjects of popular attention and controversy
These essays reveal the degree to which First Ladies since Martha Washington have been the subject of popular attention and controversy and examine how they coped with the demands of fame. Moreover, the essays assess each woman's place in defining and developing the institution of First Lady. They provide a selection of the First Lady's own writings, contemporary articles by family and friends, biographical studies of both her general surveys. An obituary is included for deceased First Ladies. Bibliographies indicate where personal papers and other manuscript sources can be found. The book also cites the location of primary sources, identifies the best biographies, and offers topics for further research.